Anthony t



(No Model.)

A. T. WILLIAMS.

IG-E GREE PER.

Patented Dec. 20, 1887.

MflWA N. PETERS. Phnwmhw n her. wasmngmn. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTHONY T. WILLIAMS, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

lCE-CREEPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,110, dated December20, 1887.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTHONY T. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Trenton, in the county of Mercer and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-Greepers5 and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to ice-creepers of the sort having spurs onhinged or pivoted plates which are arranged to be turned under the heelfor use or turned out of the way when not used. Hitherto such plateshave usually been attached to leather shoes and turned forward under thehollow of the foot.

The object of my invention is to improve this class of devices and adaptthem to be used with india-rubber shoes or boots. To this end I availmyself of the elasticity of the india-rubbers, setting therein twostaplesone for holding the plate in position under the heel and anotherfor holding it when turned out of use. The plate is provided with twoopposite curved flanges at its end. One or the other of these flangessnaps over one or the other of said staples according to the position ofthe plate.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side view of arubber-shoe heelhaving the plate turned up vertically behind it andcaught in the position it occupies when not in use. with the plate inoperative position. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of the heel andthese attachments, taken from below and obliquely in front, the platebeing shown as approaching the staple, but not yet engaging therewith.Fig. 4 represents a vertical crosssection through the heel just in frontof the lower staple and looking backward, the plate being out of sight.

A designates the shoe-heel, having a staple, a, driven through the backthereof and another staple, a, driven up through the bottom thereof.These staples are provided with sharp points, as shown, which areclinched within the-shoe in the usual manner. The lower staple, a, mustbe practically embedded Fig. 2 represents a similar view in the rubberof the heel, so that it may cause no inconvenience in walking when theplate is not needed.

At the junction of the back and bottom of the heel a ring or staple, b,is set into the rub her. To this one end of the plate B is hinged bymeans of a bent lip, b, which practically forms a broad eye. Said plateis provided with spurs 0, extending downward when said plate is inthe-position shown in Fig. 2, their function being to catch in the iceand sleet,so as to prevent the shoe from slipping thereon. The end ofsaid plate away from lip 72 is provided with two broad flanges, d d,curved away from each other, the flange 02 being intended for engagementwith the staple a when the plate is in the position shown in Fig. 1, andthe flange (1 being intended for engagement with the staple a when theplate is in the position shown in Fig. 2.

The length of plate B and the distance from ring b to staple a are sorelated to each other that the back of the curved flange d is in contactwith the crown of the staple a when turned under the heel. A pressure onthis plate will cause said flange to slip beyond said staple, the rubberof the shoe yielding to allow this, and the elasticity of the rubberwill then cause said flange to snap into engagement with said staple. Noelasticity is necessary in the plate itself, although it may be elastic.The distance from ringb to staple a is similarly related to the lengthof said plate, and the operation when the plate is turned up, as shownin Fig. 1, is precisely that above described. Of course the position ofstaples a a and consequent length of the plate B may be varied, saidplate extending entirely across the bottom of the heel, if pre ferred.The plate B may also be detachable, instead of turning up behind theheel, as stated, it being "used with the staples a and b, ashereinbefore described. It may be made of metal, leather, rubber, or anyother suitable material. Any piece which will serve as a catch forflanges dd may be substituted for staples a a.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A rubber boot or shoe having a spurred or roughened ice -creeperplate attached thereto at one point and a catch engaging the said plateat another point by the elasticity of the rubber, substantially as setforth.

2. A spurred plate, in combination with a rubber heel to which it ispivoted, and two staples, one in the back of said heel and one in thebottom thereof, said plate engaging one or the other of said staples,according to position, and being held in such engagement by theelasticity of the rubber, substantially as set forth.

3. The plate 13, having reversely-curved flanges d d at one end, incombination with :5 staples a or, arranged, respectively, in the backand bottom of the heel, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANTHONY T. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses J. O. HAYDEN, I FRED VAN Nns'r.

